Use of Proton SEE Data as a Proxy for Bounding Heavy-Ion SEE Susceptibility

Abstract

We examine use of proton single-event effect (SEE) data to constrain heavy-ion SEE susceptibility. We discuss limitations due to short-range proton recoils, especially for destructive SEE modes. We develop an equivalent linear energy transfer metric that reduces risk that proton data will significantly underestimate SEE susceptibility and suggest a probabilistic model for using proton data to constrain device-sensitive volumes.Index Terms-Heavy ions, probabilistic risk assessment, proton radiation effects, radiation hardness assurance methodology, single-event effect (SEE), single-event latchup (SEL).

Ultraenergetic Heavy-Ion Beams in the CERN Accelerator Complex for Radiation Effects Testing

“…The concept of volume-equivalent LET has been previously introduced in different contexts, such as that of retrieving a more accurate in-flight SEE rate from the GCR spectrum [23] or that of linking the proton and HI sensitivity [24], [25].…”

GEANT4 simulation of nuclear interaction induced soft errors in digital nanoscale electronics: Interrelation between proton and heavy ion impacts

“…The LET spectrum of secondary particles in this case becomes a good metrics in describing the proton-induced SEUs [17,18]. The problem of a use of the proton ground test data as a proxy for the heavy ion susceptibility also has a great practical value [19,20]. We have proposed here a simplified approach to recover the ion-induced cross sections and SER in the commercial circuits based only on proton ground test (see Sec.…”

Simplified SEE Sensitivity Screening for COTS Components in Space

“…Despite the high risk related to heavy-ion (HI) induced Single Event Effects (SEEs) in the space radiation environment, thoroughly testing all mission components through HI ground experiments is often too costly and impractical, especially for low-budget cubesat missions. Therefore, different efforts have been carried out in order to use more accessible proton data as a means of bounding the HI sensitivity ( [1] and references therein). Such approaches are based on the fact that, in their nuclear interactions with Si atoms in and near the device's Sensitive Volumes (SVs), protons (or more generally hadrons) will generate fragments and recoils with LET values up to 15 MeVcm 2 /mg, therefore covering a large fraction of the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) LET spectrum.…”

“…Similarly to what was initially proposed in [2] and recently developed in [1], [3] we will represent and compare the various conditions in the deposited energy phase space through the definition of the volume-equivalent LET as the deposited energy divided by the SV thickness. In this way the limitations associated to the LET metric for nuclear fragments are overcome, the main one being its strong variability throughout the path of the fragment in the SV (who's dimensions however need to be defined).…”

“…The most recent effort of extracting the HI cross section from proton test data [1] relies on Monte Carlo simulations of the proton deposited energy distribution for the selected SV dimensions and determination of the optimal heavy ion Weibull fit parameters through a maximum likelihood analysis. The approach we present here follows a similar energy deposition metric for the hadronic experimental case, but instead of using the calculated distribution(s) to determine the best fit to a Weibull HI response, establishes the link with the space environment by directly comparing the respective energy deposition distributions.…”